ITALY NEWS

Corporate conscience

(issue no. 136/2011 / February 10, 2011)

A steel producer runs a transport service for the disabled and maintains green areas for the local community; a company in the food industry provides ice cream to blood donors; a chemical company sponsors youth activities; and a manufacturer of souvenirs runs quilt-making workshops and donates blankets to the elderly: each year, some 140,000 Milan-based businesses spend 1.4 billion euro on corporate social responsibility, both through community outreach or internal policies and practices.

According to a survey conducted by the Milan Chamber of Commerce, on average, companies in the northern Italian province spend 10,000 euro a year on socially responsible practices. In more than a third of these companies, the action is driven by the ethical sense of the entrepreneur (36.9 percent), who puts such policies in practice every day (44.1 percent), especially in the areas of sport and cultural activities (26.2 and 19 percent, respectively) for employees and the local community.

The survey also revealed that 78.5 percent of employers pay attention to environmental issues and sustainability, while the health and safety of workers is a top priority in 70.3 percent of the companies. Despite the economic crisis, the efforts of entrepreneurs in the area of corporate.

The survey also revealed that 78.5 percent of employers pay attention to environmental issues and sustainability, while the health and safety of workers is a top priority in 70.3 percent of the companies. Despite the economic crisis, the efforts of entrepreneurs in the area of corporate social responsibility have remained unchanged for nearly 48.7 percent of business owners.